Ahmedabad man loses ₹7.8 lakh after downloading fake ‘RTO e-challan’ app

A 47-year-old tempo operator from Sarkhej lost ₹7.80 lakh from his bank account after fraudsters allegedly gained unauthorised access to his mobile phone by sending him a malicious APK file disguised as an “RTO e-challan” application. The Cyber Crime Police Station has registered an FIR and begun an investigation.

According to the complaint filed by Jafarbhai Alibhai Rajabhai, a resident of Sarkhej, the fraud was carried out between November 23 and 24, 2025 through a coordinated and pre-planned conspiracy involving multiple individuals.

Fraud triggered by fake e-challan file

Jafarbhai stated that on November 23, around 2 pm, he received an APK file named “RTO E challan.apk" via WhatsApp from his nephew Haroon. Believing it to be a legitimate e-challan notification, he downloaded the file but deleted it moments later.

The following morning, at 10.16 am, he began receiving SMS alerts regarding unauthorised withdrawals from his Axis Bank savings account. When he confronted his nephew, Haroon told him that his phone had been hacked and that unknown individuals had used his WhatsApp account to forward the same APK file to him.

₹7.8 lakh siphoned off in three rapid transfers

A visit to the bank and examination of his statement revealed that a total of ₹7.80 lakh had been siphoned from his account in three separate transfers made within minutes of each other on November 24, 2025.

The amounts withdrawn were ₹80,005 in the first transfer, followed by ₹4 lakh, and then ₹3 lakh — each sent to different bank accounts believed to be operated by the accomplices of the main accused. All three transactions were executed without his knowledge, allegedly using stolen credentials and intercepted OTPs after his phone was compromised by the malicious app.

Realising he had been cheated, Jafarbhai immediately contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 on November 24, where his complaint was logged under acknowledgement number. He later approached the Cyber Crime Police Station to formally lodge an FIR.

According to the FIR, the APK, once installed, allowed them to gain illegal access to the complainant’s device, steal his banking credentials, and initiate transfers.

Police have registered offences related to cheating, criminal breach of trust, identity theft, and unauthorised access under relevant sections of the BNS and IT Act.

The complainant has cited his nephew Haroon as a witness and requested strict legal action against all individuals involved in the cyber fraud. Further investigation is on.